Five Things that Never Happened
by Severuslovesme
Summary: Five things that never happened to Cristina Yang and Preston Burke.
1. Wedding Bells

A/N: This story will have five parts, each a moment that hasn't happened to Cristina and Burke. The stories exist in separate universes from one another and are obviously all AU. Please review!

It wasn't until they walked into the dark-wood paneled restaurant that Cristina realized where they were.

"This is where we had our first date!" Burke smiled at her as he told the concierge that they were a party of two, and had a reservation under the name Burke.

"That was an atrocious date," she remarked conversationally as they made their way through the restaurant, slipping her arm casually through his as they threaded through the tables.

"I thought you said it was the best date you've ever been on!" Burke looked wounded though she could see a smile tugging at his lips.

"You know what I mean. The heart surgery part was awesome. The eating and the not talking and the awkwardness, that was just painful. Seriously." They reached the table and Burke held out the chair for her, and then they sat down.

"It was pretty uncomfortable. But we didn't know each other at all. First dates are supposed to be awkward." He handed her her menu and opened his.

"Yeah, but first dates after sleeping together for months? They aren't supposed to be that awkward. Thank god for that guy's heart attack or we might have broken up then and there." She opened her menu and looked at it, missing Burke's incredulous look.

"Did you just say you were thankful that someone had a heart attack?" She looked up at him and smiled.

"Have you ever met me?" Their laughter mingled as they got down to the serious business of deciding what to order. Burke didn't comment this time when she ordered the sirloin.

They ate and talked, mostly about that week's surgeries and the new crop of interns. Her bunch was currently driving Cristina up the wall, and she remarked that she couldn't imagine that her own group of friends had ever been so clueless.

After they finished eating their waiter brought coffee to the table. Cristina looked at Burke quizzically.

"We didn't order coffee."

"I know, but I thought you might like some." Confused by this, Cristina looked down at the bright white cup and saucer. On the dish sat a beautiful ring, a diamond solitaire set in a gold band. She looked back across the table, but Burke was kneeling next to her.

"Cristina." He paused and looked up at her, as if searching for his answer in her face.

"I love you, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?"

Despite the panic that welled up inside of her at his words, Cristina looked into Burke's dark eyes and had no doubt of her answer.

"Yes." His answering smile lit up her heart.

When they got home they called their mothers, him from excitement and her because he made her. He confessed then that he'd agonized over this for about a week, and that his mother had been very helpful. She'd also sent the ring from Alabama, it had been his grandmother's. As he chatted calmly with his mom in the corner of the living room Cristina held the phone away from her ear in the kitchen, trying to minimize her ear damage from her mother's squealing. Then she was kept busy shooting down all of the harebrained plans for the wedding that kept popping up, like groundhogs, she thought. What she needed was a big, heavy mallet. Maybe Burke would take her to a video arcade, she mused.

When she finally extricated herself she called Meredith, since she was her best friend. Cristina figured that best friends did things like that, called each other if they got engaged. Meredith squealed too, and the phone went right back away from her ear, but this time it brought a smile to her face.

When they climbed into bed a little later Cristina turned to Burke and said "We're getting married."

"We are." He put an arm around her.

"This is weird right? It's a little weird that we're getting married. I mean, not bad weird, just strange weird. I never thought I would get married, but now I'm getting married and – " Burke cut her off with a question.

"So now you're not even waiting for me to go to sleep before you go a little bit crazy?" He quirked his eyebrow at her.

"Sorry. But I'm not crazy, I'm just freaking out a little." Burke turned out the light and rolled over to put his arms around her.

"Freak out in the morning, if you don't mind." She smiled at that and snuggled closer.

When she walked into the locker room the next morning Izzie attacked her. She shot Meredith a look as she held her hand out for inspection.

"What? I told her. You're going to have to get used to it. People get excited about engagements." Cristina rolled her eyes. Izzie was still in raptures over the ring.

Alex grinned at her from across the room. "So Burke's finally making an honest woman out of you? Never thought I'd see the day.

"Shut up, Dr. Evil Spawn." She wrenched her hand away from Izzie and threw open her locker.

As they followed Bailey down the hall she glanced at Cristina's hand and then up at her face.

"Congratulations," she said in the deadpan way that only Bailey had mastered.

"Thank you."

"Now put the rock away before you leave it in someone's body cavity." Cristina smiled.

Unfortunately, the day only went downhill from there.

She threw open the on-call room, startling Burke so much that he fell off of the bed. Thankfully he was on the bottom bunk.

"We're eloping." She sat down on the bed.

"What?" He picked himself up off of the floor, rubbing his eyes in confusion.

"I mean it. Izzie's already planning the reception, and my mother's out of control, as usual. We've been engaged for less than 24 hours and I can't deal with this!" She put her head in her hands.

"Hey." Burke grabbed her hands and held them. "It's going to be ok. We're going to plan our wedding, not Izzie and not your mother. It's going to be exactly what we want, and nothing else. "

This comforted her a little, and she allowed Burke to pull her down so that he was spooned behind her. He kissed the hand that wore his engagement ring and held her tight.


	2. Mourners

A/N This is part two. It takes place in a separate universe from part one, so for example, Burke and Cristina aren't married. Also, please don't kill me.

Cristina sat slumped against the OR door. Meredith and George had tried to move her, but a death glare had sent George running, and a few well-chosen curse words had sent Meredith scurrying into the OR, possibly for backup to help in budging her. But for now she was alone. She wanted to be on the other side of that grey door, or at least in the gallery, but she had been forbidden. That wouldn't have stopped her, except that she knew if she went in that someone would have to physically throw her out. And she didn't want their attention diverted, now of all times. No, every surgeon in that room needed to be paying attention to Burke. Burke, who lay on that table with his insides cut open … her breath caught in her throat. It was _not_ supposed to be like this. Widely-renowned cardio-thoracic surgeons were _not _supposed to have heart attacks. They were not supposed to stagger into the apartment, where their girlfriends were waiting with Chinese food, and collapse. They were not supposed to say goodbye in the ambulance. No, they were not supposed to do that.

She sat curled up on the cold floor, with her arms around her knees as if that would protect her. Distantly she realized she was hungry.

Cristina couldn't remember the number of times she had kicked screaming family members out of the room when the patient started crashing – and now she was the screaming family member. Dr. Webber had placed a hand on her shoulder as he walked past her seat on the floor, and Meredith had stayed with her until she'd screamed at her to get in there and _save him _for fuck's sake.

She put her head in her hands. She was trying desperately not to cry, but that left her head aching dully with the effort. Her eyes felt hot and her arms and legs were sluggish and unresponsive. She sat there for what felt like hours, staring at the door. She willed someone to come out and tell her something, she willed Burke to live, she willed things to go back the way they were before this nightmare had begun.

None of that mattered though, because Meredith walked out of the operating room and stood in front of her. She knew the instant Meredith's eyes met hers that he was gone.

One week after Burke's death Cristina sold the apartment. She couldn't bear to be there, with so many memories of him always hovering at the edge of her mind.

After three days of crashing on Meredith's couch she got an apartment in her old building – similar to her first one, but not exactly so. As she moved in she noticed that she was putting things away, cleaning, nesting… like Burke… Thankfully the toilet had a wide lip for her to rest her head on when she was done throwing up. When Meredith called later that night she said thank you, she was fine, and no, she didn't need anything. Seriously.

Two months after Burke's death Meredith and Bailey – since when where they a team? – cornered her after rounds and insisted that she eat something, sleep, take care of herself … all things that she couldn't care less about. They insisted that she was wasting away, that surgical opportunities were passing her by, but she just turned on her heel and walked swiftly towards an on-call room with a bathroom where she could be sick in peace. Later she thanked them for concern, and insisted that she was fine. Seriously.

By five months after Burke's death they had convinced her to accompany them to Joe's, instead of retreating to her empty and increasingly clean apartment.

By eight months she was arriving for pre-rounds at 4:25 instead of 4:30 like everyone else … the intern who had been there at 4 was lost forever, but she reflected that maybe that was a good thing.

When she, Meredith, Izzie, George and Alex were officially promoted to residents she barely cracked a smile, and retreated to the balcony near the chief's office where she looked out over the Seattle skyline for some time, thinking of how proud Burke would have been of her.

She visited his grave three times a year; she couldn't bear to go more frequently than that. On the anniversary of his death, on his birthday and on the day when he had first given her a cup of coffee. Today she brought sunflowers, since it was summer. 14 months and 22 day since his death. The sky was overcast, and the particular grey of the clouds reminded her of the funeral.

She had stood at the front of the group from Seattle Grace, Meredith on one side and George on the other. The Chief was one row behind them; he'd placed a hand on her shoulder as they entered the beautiful church. The organ played hymns that Cristina didn't recognize, and the preacher spoke about Preston's compassion, about his dedication to his job as a surgeon. He'd praised him for his kindness, and for the love and loyalty he showed his friends. Cristina couldn't stop staring at the long, mahogany coffin in front of the altar. It was covered in white flowers but they seemed grey and dingy to Cristina.

After the service a tall woman with dark hair and Burke's eyes had introduced himself as his mother. With tears in her eyes she's thanked Cristina for making her son so happy. She'd squeezed her hand and walked away, holding her handkerchief in a death grip. Cristina had sagged against Meredith and cried, for the first time since his death. For the first time in ages – since the baby. Only this time there was no Burke to hold her, to kiss her hair, to whisper that everything would be ok.

A footstep behind her broke her from her reverie and she turned. It was Meredith. She held a bouquet of daffodils, and as Cristina watched she laid them on the mound of earth that was Preston Burke's final resting place. Grass was growing now, small shoots of bright green that made Cristina's eyes ache. "I thought you could use some company." Meredith's voice breaking the silence startled Cristina so much that she put a hand on the tombstone to steady herself.

"Thanks." She smiled, a halfhearted attempt, but at least it was something.

They sat in silence for a long time, until Meredith reached out a hand to help Cristina to her feet. Together they walked towards the parking lot. Cristina glanced back once, over her shoulder, to read the tombstone.

Preston Burke 

_1966-2008_

_You will be missed_

Resolutely she walked towards the car.


	3. The Way We Are

A/N: Here's part three. Burke is alive and well, don't worry.

Preston Burke finished scrubbing his hands after his second successful surgery that day. Turning to his colleague he lifted an eyebrow.

"Big plans for the evening, Dr. Grey?" He tossed the towel carelessly into the bin and straightened up.

Meredith smiled as she dried her hands with a towel.

"Derek and I were planning to go watch the ferryboats, maybe see a movie."

"Are we still on for dinner tomorrow?"

"Are you kidding? Derek and I have been looking forward to it all week. That is, unless the new case needs immediate surgery. We're not sure yet."

"Is that the rennin-angiotensin case? Richard mentioned that he was flying in some hotshot specialist from Los Angeles."

"Yeah, Dr. Yang, I think her name is. She's supposed to be the best in the field, and together with you and I Richard thinks the surgery should go smoothly."

"It had better, the eyes of the medical world are watching this one." He grabbed his coat and slung his stethoscope around his neck.

"See you later, Meredith."

"Bye, Preston."

Burke happened upon Drs Stevens and O'Malley later that day, loitering by the nurses' station. As he walked up he caught the tail end of O'Malley's complaint.

"I mean, she's just two years out of residency, how could anyone be so famous so fast? I want to be famous."

"George, she's not famous just cause she's famous, she's a great surgeon, apparently. Next time you pioneer a new surgical method I'm sure they'll all be rushing up to interview you."

O'Malley kicked the leg of the desk in frustration and sent a pile of papers spilling all over the floor. As he and Stevens hurried to pick them up Burke kept walking, now definitely intrigued by this new doctor. He'd heard the name; of course, everyone had kept up with the frequent articles in the more prestigious journals, either written by her or about her. Cristina Yang was the darling of the scientific community for her work on the effect of renin-angiotensin aldosterone systems of vascular arrhythmias. She was lauded as the next great surgeon, the shining star of this generation. Burke couldn't help feeling a little professional jealousy that someone so young was so widely acclaimed, but he was looking forward to seeing her in action. He was interested to know if her skills could back up the hype.

After briefly checking in with the Chief, who informed him that tomorrow they would start prep for the surgery, Burke was on his way home for the evening. He stopped off first at Joe's, as was his habit on Thursday nights. When the choice was between a cold bed and the congenial atmosphere of Joe's – Joe's always won.

Sliding into his favorite booth, the one with the best view of the room, Burke caught Joe's eye and motioned for his regular drink. Casting a glance around the room, taking in the sight of the new group of interns socializing in the corner and the nurses congregating in the typical opposite corner, his gaze fell on a stranger. She was sitting at the bar, alone and unconcerned, it seemed. Her long, wavy black hair spilled over her shoulders as she sipped her drink and paged through a manila folder. If he squinted he could read the words "Seattle Grace" on the back of the folder. He knew almost all of Joe's regulars by sight – this woman was a complete stranger. He sipped his drink and watched her for a while longer. She turned a little in her chair and her hitherto unseen face was revealed to him. For a moment he sat as if paralyzed – she was breathtakingly beautiful.

Finally the folder she was still holding clicked into place. Could this be Cristina Yang, M.D? She looked so young … but then again she _was _young. More than 10 years his junior, but if the rumors could be believed she was twice the surgeon he was. He couldn't believe that, but he could believe that she was at least his equal. A beautiful, accomplished surgeon – what wasn't to like?

He sat lost in his thoughts for some time, and was only dragged from them when he realized that she had approached him and now stood, awkwardly, near the extra chair by his booth.

"The bartender said that you were Dr. Burke…"

She sounded arrogant and unsure at the same time, as if completely confident in her surgical skills but wary of personal interactions.

"Joe. His name is Joe." Burke's gaze was assessing, and she shifted minutely under his scrutiny.

"Right. Joe. Whatever."

He gestured towards the empty seat, and she sank into it gracefully.

Later, had you asked him, Burke would have had no explanation for the series of events that led to him waking up beside Cristina Yang the next morning. No explanation whatsoever.

He remembered staying at Joe's till last call, discussing the case, residency, surgery, life, all manner of things. He remembered that Dr. Yang – well, might as well call her Cristina now, since her weight was currently making his right arm numb – had had some very interesting ideas about cardiac hypertrophy. He also remembered the way her face had glowed in the dim light of the bar. He remembered kissing her, her dark hair tangled in his fingers as he pulled her closer in the taxi ride to his apartment.

When they were introduced two hours later in Richard's office, Burke tried not to grin, but he wasn't entirely successful. He was remembering their awkward conversation that morning, when it became clear that Dr. Cristina Yang was not a people person. That was ok though, he liked a challenge. He was comforted by the fact that Cristina failed to hide her amusement as well, a spark of humor lit up her eyes and caused Richard to look back and forth between the two of them in confusion.

Later that morning, as they scrubbed in for surgery, Burke addressed her.

"So, Dr. Yang. You're awfully famous for someone so young. Only out of residency by two years, if I'm correct?" He glanced at her as he finished rinsing his hands.

"What can I say? I'm a hard worker." She replied. She preceded him into the OR and he pretended not to see the look that Meredith shot him as he followed her.

Later that day he cringed when he saw Dr. Yang eating lunch with Meredith and Izzie. He was pretty certain that if anyone would find out what had transpired between him and the beautiful visiting doctor, it was those two.

His suspicions were confirmed when Meredith approached him as he crossed the northwest walkway late that afternoon. She fell into step beside him and when he glanced at her her smile had overtaken her whole face.

"Dr. Grey." Better get this over with.

"Oh don't be like that Preston. I like her. She's smart, and she's ambitious. Perfect for you." Burke stopped, and decided that his business to discuss with the chief could wait.

"I have no idea what you're referring to, Dr. Grey," he said with a smile as he turned and walked in the other direction.

He ran into her a few hours later, exiting Richard's office, and fell into step with her as she crossed the balcony.

"You're friends are quite the interrogators," she commented with a small smirk.

"They interned under me, but the fear I inspired then seems to have evaporated once they finished their residencies. Unfortunately for me." He cast a sidelong glance at her.

"I suppose you're heading back to L.A. soon?" He was trying to be nonchalant, trying to play it cool, but he could tell from the gleam in her eyes that he was failing miserably.

They had reached the door to the stairs by now, and paused, a little off to the side.

"Actually, Chief Webber asked if I wouldn't mind staying for a little longer, to consult on one or two other cases. And I've always wanted to see a little more of Seattle, I almost came here for residency, you know."

His heart leapt at that.

"In that case, can I take you out to dinner tonight?" The afternoon sun was glinting on her hair and the wall he was leaning against was cold against his back.

She laughed at that. "I think that could be arranged." An instant later she was through the swinging door and he was left staring into the setting sun.

Oh yes. Good thing he liked a challenge.


	4. Wait for Me

A/N: Part 4. Thanks SO much to everyone who's reviewed! I really appreciate it.

Cristina stared up at him, the dim stairwell adding shadows and planes to his face she would have sworn had not been there before. He held her by the arms, pinning her in place. She could feel the heat from his body, could see the heat in his eyes.

Liz Fallon was dead and all Cristina could think was that Burke was standing _soclose_ and she didn't know what was going on.

"Let her go." Cristina gasped at this, and swayed, her eyes never leaving Burke's. She thought she could lose herself in his eyes, which in the dark stairwell looked as black as midnight. They had been standing like that for forever and for an instant.

He leaned towards her and paused, never breaking eye contact. Her small gasp was swallowed as his mouth met hers, tentatively at first but then with growing pressure. After her initial shock Cristina kissed him back, the thought that _this is Burke!_ was immediately pushed to the back of her mind as she leaned closer, losing herself in how right this felt. His arms enclosed her, making her feel fragile and safe. The comfort her offered her was tangible, his body seemed to say that it was _ok_ to feel fragile, to feel upset.

He pulled back when a door above them slammed, and by the time the nurse walked by them on the stairs, Dr. Burke and Dr. Yang were discussing their recent case. If they were standing a little close together, well, there was better gossip to be had around Seattle Grace these days. Cristina felt strangely bereft at the loss of body contact. She took a step backwards, leaning against the wall, her eyes never leaving Burke. Distance was good. Distance meant that his body heat couldn't mess with her head. He rubbed the back of his neck with his hand and wouldn't meet her eyes.

"I'm sorry. That was inappropriate." He suddenly sounded older, and very tired. When he put down his hand he seemed to not know what to do with them, he placed them in his jacket pockets with an air of distraction.

"Don't be sorry." Cristina had no idea what had just happened, but that didn't mean that she hadn't enjoyed it.

"That was inappropriate. You're an intern, I'm an attending. This can't be." He had his arms on the railing now, and looked down into the stairwell, like maybe it held some answers for him.

"But –" Cristina was nothing if not stubborn. He looked up, savagery shining in his face.

"No! Don't you get it? This could destroy your career before it's even begun, and it won't do me any good either. Lets just forget this ever happened." He moved restlessly, and started towards the door to the stairs.

"Hey." She grabbed his arm. "I won't be an intern forever." He paused.

"I'm counting on that." His smile stayed with her even after the door slammed shut behind him.

The next nine and a half months were torture for Cristina. Every time she passed Burke in the hallway she blushed, certain that the heat she saw in his eyes was mirrored in hers. She dreaded being in surgery with him, there always seemed to be some reason why he would place his hand on hers to guide her movement, or else he was standing so close that she could smell his aftershave and feel a little bit of electricity when they brushed against each other. She had no idea why no one else noticed, not even Meredith commented on how she always acted strangely when Dr. Burke was around. Then again, Meredith's talent for self-absorption was profound.

Frequently she cursed Burke's honor and sense of responsibility, and her own ambition. She knew that part of her fixation on Burke was fear of what would occur after her internship was over. She would be a resident, would have to be competent, responsible. She knew she could do it, but it was still a daunting proposition.

She had no idea what, if anything, would happen with Burke when she became an actual resident, but she hated being told that she couldn't have what she wanted.

She stood there, Meredith on one side and Izzie on the other, as Dr. Webber congratulated them for officially completing their internship. It wasn't much of a ceremony, most of the doctors were busy with other things, but the room was full of all of the other interns in the program, as well as their supervising residents. When the chief was done talking George grabbed her in a hug but was rebuffed, of course, because she hated being hugged. She suffered herself to stay, and be happy with her friends, but she was itching to find Burke. When she couldn't take the squeals anymore she moved subtly towards the door, ignored by the celebrating mass of interns.

She was stopped by Bailey, though, who stood right by the door.

"Congratulations, Cristina. Where are you going?"

"Thank you. Uh, I thought I would, just…get a little air, um, it's stuffy in here…"

"I figured you were going to find Dr. Burke." Bailey crossed her arms over her chest.

"What?" Cristina couldn't entirely conceal the note of panic in her voice.

"You're not as sneaky as you wish you were, Yang." Bailey's smile was terrifying.

"We're not, I mean, nothing…I…" Cristina trailed off, at a loss.

"I know. Go on now, what're you waiting for?" She turned away and walked back into the crowd.

Cristina stood there a second, then resolutely walked out of the door.

She found him exiting a patient's room, and he smiled when he saw her.

"Is the ceremony over, Dr. Yang?"

"People are still there, but I got a little bored." He smiled bigger at this.

"As it just so happens, I'm a little bored myself. Can I buy you a cup of coffee?"

"Actually," she said, "I'd much rather go have sex in the on-call room."

He laughed. "Lead on, then."


	5. You've Got to be Kidding Me

A/N: You get Part 5 a little early, cause I'm going out of town. But this is the last part, so enjoy!

When the stick turned blue, Cristina decided that the universe had a sick, sick sense of humor. She was pregnant again. Seriously? _Seriously? _Once wasn't enough? One traumatic, out of wedlock pregnancy experience wasn't enough bad luck or bad karma or bad _whatever_ to be a get-out-of-jail free card? As she sat staring at the hateful white stick she decided that this time it was even worse than that time. Sure, then she had been an intern, and hadn't even been in a relationship with the father of her child. But that had made her decision easy, the thought of keeping it had only been indulged in the furthest recesses of her mind. But now, now she was a third year resident, and had been with Burke for 4 years. This… this would require that they talk about it. _It._ The child. Baby. Whatever.

She leaned back against the wall heavily. Was she – _were they_ – ready for a child? They weren't married, they had no plans to get married … well, she amended to herself, _she _had no plans to get married. Lord knew she never had any idea what was happening in Burke's head.

Her prediction was scarily accurate. Burke was thrilled about the baby, and his excitement was infectious. She became, if not thrilled, at least curious to meet this person growing inside of her.

At three months Burke tried to get her to stop working and take it easy. She laughed in his face, and so did Bailey, so he backed down. She figured that the dressing-down he got from the Chief about trying to 'take his most talented resident away when she wasn't even showing' had added salt to his wounded pride, so she didn't complain when he filled the apartment with green and yellow bassinets and toys and clothes and every sort of thing that a human being could possibly ever require. But she lost her patience when he bought her maternity clothes in pastel colors, and burned them in the fireplace. He got the message and was resigned to her wearing his scrubs and pajamas whenever she was home.

At five months Burke tried to get her to stop working and take it easy. She laughed in his face and kept him busy feeding her craving for McDonald's French fries with chocolate sauce on them. Eventually the craving turned into the desire for sex, all the time, anywhere. She thought that they were even worse then than when they hadn't been living together.

At seven months Burke tried to get her to stop working and take it easy. She laughed in his face, but Meredith and the Chief agreed, and Meredith helped Burke physically drag her home where they sat her down with some movies and lots of French fries. The Chief just called periodically to make sure she was parked in front of "When Harry Met Sally" instead of sneaking into OR Two to watch Burke's valve replacement. Little did he know that she had the house calls forwarded to her cell phone. When Burke yelled at her that night she placed his hand on her stomach and the baby kicked. He left it there for the rest of the night.

At nine months, 2 days and eight hours she had them page Burke, pulling him from a typical appendectomy to witness his daughter's birth. At least, she thought, some first year resident should get a surgery out of her personal hell.

Because giving birth? Not high on Cristina's list of 'fun things to do when I'm not cutting things open with a 10-blade."

When Burke rushed into the delivery room 10 minutes later, he found Cristina calmly sitting up, eating ice cubes, and discussing that morning's craniotomy with Meredith.

"She's seven centers dilated," commented the nurse on her way out. Burke took a step further into the room and looked at his girlfriend quizzically.

"I have lots and lots of drugs!" Cristina helpfully supplied. He should have guessed from the slightly dopey grin on her face.

"That's good. Drugs are good." He smiled at her and then nodded to Meredith.

"Dr. Grey. How's she doing?"

"Fine, now that that epidural is coursing through her veins. 20 minutes ago I wouldn't have put even odds on your survival. I believe the term 'chemical castration' was used more than once."

Burke winced.

"I'm going to kill you," remarked Cristina conversationally.

Burke sat down in the chair that Meredith had just vacated and took Cristina's hand. Despite the drugs, it was going to be a long couple of hours.

Teresa Adelaide Burke was born at 5:47 in the morning. She weighed seven pounds, six ounces, and was commonly held to look exactly like her father. At least, that's what George, Meredith, Izzie and Alex said when they burst into the room at six am, unable (according to Izzie) to wait another minute before seeing the baby.

They all cooed at Tess, who gurgled contentedly in her mother's arms while her father hovered protectively over the pair of them. Alex commented that she was a little cross-eyed, which earned him banishment from the room by Burke.

Two days later they left the hospital, Cristina claiming that she would return to work within the week. Bailey laughed at that, and said that if she saw her before the month was out she would drag Cristina home by the hair herself.

So the new family walked out of Seattle Grace Hospital into the sunshine, arguing over who would carry the diaper bag all the way to the car.


End file.
